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the guest apartment: school of seven bells

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 01, 2010 |

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Most bands never tame the kind of un-explained, creative vigor that helped inspire School of Seven Bells' stunning, sophomore album Disconnect From Desire. An absolute tour de force of a record, the collection weaves sophisticated washes of electronic pastiches, gentle yet affecting vocal harmonies, ferocious rhythmic back bones, and emotional flights of pen together in to the kind of intense listening experience that puts all senses on high alert. Explains the band's guitarist and resident producer Ben Curtis, "The idea for the record...the sound of it, the content, the title, the way it was going to go down...it hit us like a bolt of lightning. It happened really quickly, and it was written in a much more concise period of time. So it's much more a moment of our lives".

That moment's artistic representation is impressive to say the least. So much so we've had a hard time following the enlightened advice the band etched across the cover of Disconnect.... No, we've wanted to work with SVIIB for far too long, and the band's recent release only intensified that desire. Last month we got our wish, perching the band high atop a rooftop in the West Village for a golden hour segment of The Guest Apartment.

What follows is a compelling moment of it's own, standing in sharp contrast to the robust nature of Disconnect.... Here, four of that album's richest tracks get trimmed down to acoustic threads rarely seen from this electro-rock three piece. A pair of acoustic guitars, some enriching synthetics, and Claudia and Alejandra Deheza's lovely harmonies: that's all the band needs to shape this bewitching performance.

However, in retrospect, there is one problem that immediately comes to mind. I suspect our latest segment of The Guest Apartment will also make it hard for you to follow the band's sage advice. No, School of Seven Bells will only leave you desiring just a bit more of this extraordinary band. - David Pitz